


like someone in love

by BeLikeTheBluebird



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: 5 things 1 thing, M/M, ash and big red are close, first I love yous, i think we’re sending a theme, idk man, together ish in the first part?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22115464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeLikeTheBluebird/pseuds/BeLikeTheBluebird
Summary: five times seb matthew smith almost told carlos rodriguez he loved him and one time he did
Relationships: Big Red & Ashlyn Caswell, Carlos/Seb Matthew-Smith
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49





	like someone in love

**Author's Note:**

> best if read while listening to this song on repeat:
> 
> https://youtu.be/9CZVS5rlNlk

The first time was probably the most notable. 

It was a late night rehearsal followed by a brief trip to a small diner. The couple had been on a “double date” with Ashlyn and Big Red (Seb still wasn’t positive the two were together. He could have sworn Ashlyn was gay?) but they had eventually gone home in favor of a private movie night.

“Honestly, I’m happy for Ashlyn!” Carlos had said, “but like, what if she ends up being like Nini and walking into the audition room and going against Miss Jenn?” 

Seb shrugged. “We technically went against Miss Jenn when we suggested I audition for Sharpay.” He took another bite of his french fries, happy that Ashlyn and Red had left before they had ordered. Less money spent!

Carlos was taken aback for a second. “Yeah, but at least we hadn’t suggested anyone read for Sharpay yet. I love Nini but that was not a good move.” Carlos said, taking a bite of Seb’s fries, having finished his long before. His found itself interlocked with his boyfriends, as the two boys just talked. And listened.

About halfway through the whole experience, Carlos stopped talking. “Wait,” he said. “What’re you doing after we leave?” 

Seb smiles. “Well, I was going to just go home, but do you have any other ideas?”  
Carlos laughed to himself. “Well, my parents are out of town tonight. I was thinking we could marathon a bunch of movie musicals?” 

Seb nodded. “Of course! I’ll just wear some clothes I left there last time.”

Carlos blushed a little. “Sounds like a plan.” He said, getting out some money as the waiter brought the check. 

The car ride was about as interesting as always. Technically, Carlos wasn’t supposed to be driving Seb, but the diner was barely ten minutes away. The odds of getting caught were slim to nothing. 

The boys laid on Carlos’ bed for approximately 15 minutes before Carlos was asleep. He didn’t fall asleep before giving his beau a kiss on the cheek and wrapping his arms around him. Seb didn’t try to fall asleep at first, instead just leaning into Carlos and embracing the moment. He almost started to profess his love for the sleeping boy, even though he wouldn’t hear it. But that didn’t feel right. 

He felt like Carlos should be able to hear those words the first time he said them.

It was true, though. He really did love the high-strung choreographer. He loved how deeply he cared about everything he did, how closely he would listen when Seb talked about life on the farm. 

Seb was almost taken aback by the thought of saying “I love you” to the younger boy. Like he was scared the boy wouldn’t reciprocate. Some part of him knew he would-It wasn’t uncommon for Carlos to call him “my love” to end phone calls- but at the same time, what if he didn’t? What if it was all for show? 

Seb shook his head. Too much thinking. The smaller boy curled into him, causing him to smile. He pressed a kiss to his forehead, before falling asleep himself.

The second time is in smack dab in the middle of rehearsal. The two were reviewing some good old “Stick to the Status Quo” choreography during a break. 

The break went on much longer than expected. As usual, Ricky, EJ and Nini were too busy causing drama for anything to get done. Around time forty-six of the dance, Carlos decided to finally call it quits. While they waited for the three (Carlos had taken to calling them “The East High Kardashians, due to the amount of unnecessary drama they started), the two found themselves laying on the floor of the bomb shelter, some old musical playing in the background from Carlos’ Spotify 

“So, did you hear Red and Ashlyn aren’t actually together?” Seb turned to Carlos, intertwining their hands.

Carlos nodded. “Yeah. Aren’t they both gay?” 

Seb shrugged. “I know Ashlyn is. I’ve heard that Big Red is bi, but I’m not sure.” 

Carlos nodded. “I could see it. Like, seventh grade me was totally attracted to him.”

“Really? He was your pick?” Seb said, leaning a little bit closer into the boy sitting next to him.

Carlos raised his eyebrows. “Well, who was yours? I won’t judge. Unless you say like, EJ. then I will judge.

Seb’s eyes darted to the ground. “Truth be told, it was you. I can’t say I assumed you were straight, but I can say I assumed you hated me. I mean, we barely talked during drama class.”

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Seb darling, I could never hate you. In fact,” he paused for a moment. “Oh nevermind. Anyways, I was mainly friends with the real bitches of the seventh grade.”

Seb nodded. “Fair. I didn’t really talk to you either, so it’s not really your fault.” 

The two boys sighed seemingly in unison, “Til There Was You” playing in the background. Seb hummed along to the tune. 

Yet again, Seb thought about just turning to the boy and saying it. That he loved him. But still, he couldn’t manage. He just wanted to say something to fill the empty space only being filled by Barbara Cook. “Hey Carlos, can I tell you something?” 

Carlos looked up from his Twitter feed. “Of course, my love.” He sat up, placing the blond boy in his lap.

Seb blushed a little. “You’re the first guy I ever had a crush on. Summer of sixth grade. Natalie Bagley’s end of year party.”

Carlos laughed. “I remember that! Didn’t a bunch of kids ‘crash’ that and hog all the Kool Aid? I remember being so pissed off at them for that.” 

Seb nodded. “Yup. And at the end of the party, you gave me a big hug. And I just remember spending the next two years obsessing over you. In ninth grade we actually started talking, and now look at us.” Seb paused for a minute, pressing a kiss to Carlos’ knuckles. “Carlos, can I ask you something?” The other boy nodded. “When did you realize you liked me? Like, liked me.” He internally cringed. What were they, 12? 

Carlos sat for a moment. “Probably around when you told me you’d like to audition for Sharpay. I think I liked you way before that, though. I started liking you around when we paired up for that history of theatre project.” 

Seb nodded. “Cool.” 

After what felt like (and probably was) seven hours, EJ, Nini and Ricky finally had their daily drama sorted out. Seb didn’t mind how long it had taken them this time around. He was content.

The third time was that very same day, after rehearsal. Seb had offered to give Carlos a ride home, which Carlos happily obliged to. The boys decided that they both needed to take a brief trip to the school library first, which was thankfully still open. Seb was the one who actually needed to get work done, claiming that it’s impossible, what with Leo and Layla, to get work done around the house. Carlos sat grabbing a book from the shelf. It was some old book about book thieves. (He ended up checking it out and really liking it, but in that moment he was more concerned with the very cute boy sitting next to him). Carlos let his hand venture to Seb’s upper thigh. Seb didn’t say much about this, just sort of smiling at the other boy.

The two boys barely spoke the entire time they sat in the library, save for the occasional time check.

It was in this moment that Seb realized he didn’t need to say “I love you” to his boyfriend yet. They always say actions speak louder than words, and in this moment, the simple domesticity of sitting in a library, reading and studying AP Euro was enough for him. At one point, around 7:30, Carlos found himself drifting off. He put down his book and found himself getting up and moving over to the couch in the far corner of the library. Seb closed his book temporarily, leaning into Carlos on the couch.

Seb almost told the boy he loved him again in that moment. But he couldn’t. Instead, he just ran his fingers through the sleeping boy’s hair, occasionally thinking to himself He must be able to tell at this point. Sure, Seb had never said out loud that he loved the boy, but he sure as hell made it clear.

Around 8:30, when Carlos woke up, before it was time to go, Carlos pulled Seb into a hug. saying everything he wanted to in that moment.

The fourth time was the quickest. A simple passing in the hallways. The two had their next class together, but were forced to sit on two different sides of the classroom. Damn assigned seating. Before entering the classroom, Seb turned to Carlos and said the simple words he always does: “Talk to you after class?” He quickly kissed his boyfriend, while thinking to himself about how much he loved the boy. 

Carlos and Seb were both fairly meticulous note takers. While going over symbolism in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, this did not seem to be the case. While there were certainly some solid notes, they were hidden in between the “SMS+CR”s, as if they were in a teen movie from 2002.

Neither of them could say but both of them knew it: they loved each other. Seb loves Carlos. Carlos loved Seb.

The final time it happened was during tech. The two boys had finally found a moment to themselves, quietly sitting in the back row of the El Rey. The two were just sort of stuck together, Carlos eventually breaking the silence.

“Bringing us all here was a mistake.” He said, staring at the ground. 

Seb looked up at his boyfriend, shaking his head. “It absolutely was not. Think of all the new things we’ve seen today. Kourtney killing Bop to the Top, EJ suffering from some sort of exposure to the asbestos this place probably has-“ 

Carlos interrupted him. “EJ said it was acting and he was trying to be emotional and having an emotional connection to the text but I don’t think he knows what that means.” 

Seb rolled his eyes. “Emotional Connection is more than three syllables, my love. What could you expect?”

Carlos chuckled a little. “Well, Ricky and Nini are MIA, but when aren’t they? Miss Jenn is having some sort of crisis, and it’s all my fault! I’m the one who brought us here!” 

Seb grabbed the boy’s hands. “Hey, neither of those things are your fault. You said it yourself, Nini and Ricky are always missing. And Miss Jenn is at least 30. Her problems shouldn’t fall on someone half her age.”

Carlos nodded, holding back tears. “I mean, you’re right. But half of the cast blames me for everything that goes wrong within this show.”

Seb shook his head. “I know for a fact that’s no true. Sure, EJ and maybe some of the ensemble might, but I can guarantee you none of the tech crew does, and most of the leads don’t!”

Carlos sighed. “EJ told me he thinks it’s admirable, but that might have been the four year old popcorn talking.”

Seb didn’t even bother asking. He turned to the boy sitting beside him. “Hey, they all love you.” He ran a finger across his lover’s face.” And so do I. he thought to himself.

Carlos stared at his blond beau. “I’m gonna go find Miss Jenn.” He said. “Clearly morning in here works and we have to go somewhere else. Yet another example of me fucking things up, as I always-“

Seb cut him off with a kiss. When the two finally pulled away, Carlos smiled at his beau. “I needed that.” He said, before squeezing Seb’s hand one last time and running away.

Seb sighed quietly to himself. Soon, he thought to himself. Soon.

It finally happened approximately ten minutes after “Bop to the Top.” Carlos was sitting backstage, in his far too-big Chad costume, half moping. Thankfully, EJ was back on, but he was still wearing a Bolton jersey. Have a lead be an understudy, they said. It’ll be the most fun in the world, they said. It won’t be the most stressful thing in the world when the understudy goes on. 

Seb plopped himself down next to the boy. “Honey, you did amazing! I was watching your scene from the wings and honestly? You were better than EJ”

Carlos laughed a little. “That’s strong coming from you. The audience loved Bop to the Top! and here you were, thinking you couldn’t do it!” 

Seb smiled at the boy. “Well, it’s because of your choreography. I love it. I love you.”

Well, shit.

He hadn’t meant to say it. It just sort of happened. His mouth (and his heart) got ahead of him. 

There was silence for about sixteen seconds (Seb was counting). “I love you too.” Carlos said. “wow, that’s the first time we’ve said that to each other. I guess I’ve just been thinking it for so long.” 

Seb grinned. “Oh thank goodness! I’ve been thinking literally since like, Thanksgiving” 

Carlos took the boy’s hands. “I mean same!” He listened to show for a moment. “Shit, a minute til ‘Together’. You’ve gotta go!” He got up, starting to walk away from Seb so Seb could, yknow, do the number. 

Seb grabbed the boy’s wrists. “Hold on, one lasting thing before I go.” He pressed a soft kiss to Carlos’ cheek, before running off into the wings.

Seb had to quickly wipe the smile from his face so he could act like Sharpay. But in his heart, he was just about the happiest boy at East High.

**Author's Note:**

> some notes: dedicated to the seblos discord server ily guys.  
> also @rinaseblos i essentially used the message you sent last night as inspiration for the last part so shoutout logan!  
> also dazes i used your names for siblings


End file.
